Morning News Brief
Written by Tom Tharp on July 17, 2023
Pennsylvania State Police have taken suspected killer Michael Burham back into custody, nine days after he escaped from the Warren County Jail. Burham was apprehended around 5:50 p.m. on Saturday in the woods in Conewango Township, about two hours after police received a call on their tipline about an encounter with a suspicious person. Investigators say a couple who lives on Jackson Run Road heard their dog barking and went to investigate. That’s when they encountered Burham and asked what he was doing on their property. He told the couple he was camping, but state police say the homeowners recognized him from media reports and called police as Burham headed into the woods. A team of state and federal law enforcement officers responded to the area immediately. Investigators say Burham encountered troopers as he approached Logan Road, where they had set up a perimeter. He then tried to hide but was approached from behind at gunpoint by U.S. Marshals, Border Patrol, and Pennsylvania State Police. He was taken into custody without incident.
You may have thought it was over but the wildfires in Canada are still going strong and we get to breathe the results. Smoke from the Canada wildfires is settling over the whole area of New York resulting in an air quality index of about 120 to 150 today in the Batavia area. The entire state is under an air quality alert. Sensitive groups may experience difficulty breathing and have health effects. Emergency cell phone alerts will be used to warn New Yorkers if the air quality index exceeds the 200 threshold for ‘Very Unhealthy’ air and is sustained for longer than an hour. The alerts will be transmitted via the Wireless Emergency Alert system, managed by the State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. At the Governor’s direction, hundreds of thousands of high-quality N95-style masks have been made available to New Yorkers to address air quality impacts and will continue to be made available to counties at State-run stockpiles for further distribution to the public. The smoke is supposed to dissipate over night into Tuesday as a cold front pushes it away.
A thief drove a stolen car into the police then fled on foot. At approximately 7 A.M. On Saturday Rochester Police responded to a parking garage in the area of Fitzhugh Street to a report of a stolen vehicle. The vehicle was located a short time later near Knowles Alley. As the officer was investigating, the driver of the stolen vehicle reversed the car and crashed into the officers vehicle. The officer was not injured and the driver and at least one other individual fled the scene. Police are investigating and no one is in custody at this time.
2 men are dead after a shooting in Rochester. Officers were in the area of North Street and Weld Street around 1:45 a.m. Sunday when they heard multiple gunshots being fired from the area of the S & T Lounge at 328 North Street. When police arrived at the corner of North Street and Weld Street, they found one gunshot victim in the middle of North Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene. A second gunshot victim was found in the parking lot at the northeast corner of North Street and Weld Street. He was transported to URMC and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Police say at this time it is unknown if there were multiple individuals involved in the gunfire and if the victims hit by the gunshots were the intended victims. Officers also say there was a large crowd that had exited the bar just prior to the shooting, but it is currently unknown if those involved were inside the bar prior. Both victims are men in their 30’s- 40’s and have not been positively identified.
Batavia downs announced two August events and now has tickets on sale. The Sock Hop to benefit Mothers of Veteran Suicide will be on Monday August 7th form 2 to 6. Ruby Shooz will be performing from 3 to 5. There will be 50/50 raffles, penny raffles and a silent auction. Attendees are encouraged to wear their best “Grease” outfit for the costume contest. Tickets are $15 and you get back $15 in Free Play. Those with Military ID get in free. On August 19th the Seltzers and Sulkies, presented by Bud Light and White Claw Seltzers, event will run from 4 to 6:30. The event includes a seltzer sampling, 20 dollars in free play, and 5 dollars to wager on live racing. Tickets are 40 dollars.
The Genesee County Fair is going to be back in the fairgrounds starting this Saturday and running through the 29th. The 8 day fair will have nightly live music, daily 4-H animal shows, pig races, wood carving, fair queen and princess pageants and a larger midway with games and rides. There will be a special preview night Friday afternoon starting at 3. The fair is 10 dollars a carload. Rides are 15 dollars for a wristband to get on all the rides, there are also special tickets for the demolition derby and Enduro 100 Lap Race. There are also special days and events, visit gcfair.com for details.
